Matcha, the bright green **, has not only conquered the hearts of countless diners with its unique taste, but also become a representative of a healthy lifestyle. But have you ever wondered what kind of tea is used to make matcha? Let's unveil the mystery of matcha today!
Matcha, which originated from the Chinese tea ceremony culture, was later introduced to Japan and developed into a unique tea art. It is not simply ground into powder, but refined through multiple processes such as strict material selection, processing and grinding. So, which tea leaves are fortunate enough to be the ingredients for matcha?
1. Green tea, the raw material of matcha
The main ingredient of matcha is green tea. But not all green teas are suitable for making matcha. Generally, green tea to make matcha needs to meet the following conditions:
Excellent variety: Choose tea varieties with thick leaves, bright green color and strong tea aroma.
Timing of picking: During the spring tea period, tea buds with young leaves are selected for picking to ensure the freshness and tenderness of the tea.
Shading treatment: Some time before picking, the tea plants need to be shaded to increase the chlorophyll and amino acid content of the tea leaves, making the matcha more fresh green and mellow in taste.
2. Unique processing technology
The process of making matcha is far more complicated than we think. It includes steaming, drying, cutting, screening, grinding and other processes. Each process has a crucial impact on the final quality of matcha.
Steamed green: The tea leaves are quickly finished by high-temperature steam to maintain the bright green color and fresh aroma of the tea.
Dry: Further remove the moisture inside the tea leaves, laying the foundation for subsequent processing.
Cutting & Screening: The dried tea leaves are cut into fine pieces and the tea residues that do not meet the requirements are removed by screening.
Grinding: Using a stone mill, the sifted tea leaves are slowly ground into a fine powder, which is what we see as matcha.
3. Quality identification of matcha
After understanding the raw materials and processes used to make matcha, we also need to learn how to identify the quality of matcha. A good quality matcha usually has the following characteristics:
Bright green in color: Matcha powder has a bright emerald green color without any variegation.
The aroma is intense: Matcha has a unique tea aroma that is fresh and long-lasting.
Delicate on the palate: The brewed matcha has a mellow taste, melts in the mouth, and leaves no tea residue.
Rich in nutrients: Matcha is rich in tea polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients, which have many benefits for human health.
Now, do you have a deeper understanding of matcha? If you are also a matcha lover, you may wish to pay more attention to the raw materials and processing technology when buying matcha to ensure that you buy high-quality matcha products.
Of course, if you want to taste authentic matcha, in addition to buying high-quality matcha powder, you also need to master the correct brewing method. Only when matcha powder is perfectly combined with factors such as water temperature and water volume can a cup of matcha with good color and aroma be brewed. If you are interested in the brewing skills of matcha, you may wish to *** In the next issue, we will introduce the brewing method of matcha to you in detail!
Finally, if you still have any questions about matcha or want to know more about matcha, please leave a message in the comment area to let us know. In the meantime, don't forget to click! We will share more wonderful content about matcha from time to time, let's immerse ourselves in this bright green tea fragrance world!